Senior Chemist salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 41 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes South San Francisco, Berkeley, Hayward, Foster City, Menlo Park.
Also listed as: Quality Control Chemist, Analytical Chemist
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $124,842 |
| 25th | $128,939 |
| 50th (median) | $141,500 |
| 75th | $151,741 |
| 90th | $165,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $108,410 | $108,410 | $115,013 | 16 |
| FY2021 | $105,000 | $91,200 | $113,200 | 23 |
| FY2022 | $120,000 | $108,300 | $127,000 | 35 |
| FY2023 | $116,813 | $110,000 | $140,316 | 29 |
| FY2024 | $134,900 | $120,000 | $146,025 | 28 |
| FY2025 | $134,470 | $128,939 | $150,435 | 20 |
| FY2026 | $143,200 | $131,400 | $159,360 | 21 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median senior Chemist salary of $141,500 is worth about $122,400 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Chemists in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $127,790 in May 2025 (2,180 employed). The H-1B median here is $141,500, 11% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Arcus Biosciences | too few | 5 |
| Genentech | too few | 5 |
| AbbVie | too few | 3 |
| Gilead Sciences | too few | 3 |
| MRL San Francisco | too few | 3 |
| Cytokinetics | too few | 2 |
| Hexagon Bio | too few | 2 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Security | too few | 2 |
| Leland Stanford Jr. Univ/SLAC National Accelerator Lab | too few | 2 |
| R2M Pharma | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $81,635 | 28 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $110,753 | 43 |
| Senior · Level III | $141,500 | 41 |
| Expert · Level IV | $152,984 | 40 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $80,870 | $81,635 | 28 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $104,915 | $110,753 | 43 |
| Senior · Level III | $124,842 | $141,500 | 41 |
| Expert · Level IV | $148,117 | $152,984 | 40 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.